Well-pumping mechanism



Uec. 15 I925- WITNESS H. F. RANDOLPH WELL PUMPING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 21. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENT'O R Dec. 15,- 1925., 1,566,264

' H. F. RANDOLPH WELL PUMPING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 21, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W NEss Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

HARRY E. RANDOLPH, E PIr'rsBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA; AGNES 10RTER RANDOLPH,

EXECUTRIX OF SAID HARRY E. R NDO H, DEoEAsED, AssIe oR T0 AGNES PoR- TER RANDOLPH, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNsYLvANIA.

,W LL-PU PING MECHANISM.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY V a citizen of the United States, and residing in the city of Pittsburgh, in the county of -Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered the new, useful, and Improved I/Vell-Pumping Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in new and improved pumping mechanismfor deep wells, such as oil wells and the like.

Frequently to obtain the output of petroleum from oil wells a great quantity of water must be pumped out with the oil, and, .Witll the walking beam pumping mechanism now in general use, this process is slow and expensive, as the pumping stroke is relatively short. Furthermore, at the end of a stroke the walking beam reverses its movement with a sharp jerk which exerts a strain on the rods and the pump, and frequently results in breakage and. great loss of time.

'Moreover the pumping capacity 'is decidedly limited, as the arc of movement of the end of the walking beam must not be so great as to impart a. material lateral movement to the upper rods.

The objects which I have inview are, in-

ter alia, toincrease the capacity and speed of operation of the pump; to provide fora longer pumping stroke, and to obtain a slow reversal of the movement at the end of a stroke and thereby to avoid jerks and consequent strains and breakage.

For these and other purposes, I substitute for the conventional walking beam, a rotary member to which the pump cable is connected and which is rotated or oscillated in opposite directions by rack and pinion mechanism reciprocated by power-driven disks rotated at constant speed and in a constant directlon. A

I provide means whereby the arc of rotation of the member may be adjusted to obtain the desired pump stroke. I also provide means for counterbalancing the pump, thus further reducing the strain.

I also provide convenient means whereby the pumping mechanism may be used for loweringthe pump or pump rods into the well or removing the same from the well,

. when required.

Other novel features of construction and F. RANDOLPH,

arrangement of parts will appear from the following description.

' In the accompanying drawings, which are however merely intended to illustrate apractical embodiment of the principles of my invention, without limiting the scope of the latter to the construction shown, Fig; 1 is a plan view of my improved pumping mechanism; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,

and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the pumping mechanism installed at an oil well, and also counterbalanced.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings, reference being first had to Figs. 1- and 2. i

A represents the horizontally disposed bed frame, comprised of the longitudinal side sills 1 and the transverse end sillsQ. For

convenience, said frame is preferably formed of a number of castings-suitably connected together, and it is supported by a suitable foundation. 3'represents a pair of grooved guideways attached to the outer sides'of the sills 1 and extending from approximately the center of the frame to the rear end of cent guideway, and B is an electric motor or other sourceof rotary power mounted on said sub-base 5 is a shaft journaled transversely of the frame in the bearings 6 and-havmg one end connected to the shaft of the motor B, as by the flexible coupling 7 The shaft 5 is pro vided with a pinion C which meshes with a large gear I) mounted on a second shaft ta also transversely journaled on the frame A inthe bearings 9. The shaft 8 is also provided with a pinion E which meshes with a large gear F mounted on a third shaft 10 journaled transversely of the frame A in the bearings 11. The ends of the shaft 10 protrude through the bearings and have mounted thereon the crank disks Gr. Said disks are provided with radial strengthening ribs 12 and with a plurality of sockets 13, 14, 15 and 16 which are adapted to receive the wrist pins 17, one of said wrist pins being provided for each disk.

The sockets are positioned at various dislarly positioned, thereby providing for adjustment of the crank throws. I have shown each disk provided with four sockets,.thus obtaining four adjustments, but it is evident that any desired number of sockets may be provided, thus increasing the adjustability of the crank action.

H represents the connecting rods whose forward ends are pivoted on the wrist pins 17 and whose rear ends are; pivotally connected to the front ends of sliding rack bars I which move in the guide ways 3.

18 is a fourth shaft, transversely journaled on the frame in the bearings 19, and having its protruding end provided with pinions J which mesh from above with the racks I.

II is'the oscillating member, preferably a cable wheel or drum mounted on the shaft 18.

It is evident that when the mechanism is in operation, the drum K is oscillated or alternately rotated in opposite directions, and that the extent. of its oscillation. is regulated by the throw of the crank disks G which, as has been already explained, is adjustable by inserting the wrist pins in the proper sockets.-

Referring now to Fig. 8, L is a cable which is wound around the drum K and led over pulleys 20 and 21 on the derrick M and thence down the well where it is at-- tached to the pump rods in the usual manner. The other end of the cable may be attached to the drum in any well known manner, but I prefer to counterbalance the pump, as by means of the counterbalance weight N, the cable being led over pulleys 22 and 23 mounted on the elevated support 0, and the weight being suspended from the end of the cable. Such weight should be adjustable as shown, so that it may properly counterbalance the load.

WVhere practical, I prefer to connect one or more pumps to each end of the cable, using the pumps to counterbalance each other.

As a means for raising the pump rods from the well or lowering the same down into the well, I may provide the drum wheel or nigger-head P mounted on a shaft 24 journaled in a bearing 25 mounted on a suitable base, the shaft being a-lined with the shaft 8 and being provided with a sliding clutch member 26 adapted to be brought into engagement with a clutch member 27 on the end .of the shaft 8, then,- by applying rotary power to the wheel P.

It is evident that I may, by the use of my invention, obtain any desired length of stroke, thus providing whatever pumping action is required. It'is further evident that the movement of the racks is graduall slowed up as they approach the ends of their strokes and that at the beginning of their strokes the movement gradually accelerates. This is of course due to the fact that the angle of advance of the wrist pins lessens in proportion to their proximity to the horizontal diameter of their path of movement. Therefore, I avoid the jerking action characteristic of the present pumping mecha nism at the ends of its stroke with its tendency to break the rods and drop the pump. I also avoidstrain on the mechanism. I am therefore enabled to use heavier rods and a larger pump as my pumping mechanism can safely carry the greater load. Thus I increase the capacity ofthe pump and therefore multiply the output of the well.

While I prefer to use a cable drum for carrying the cable, the oscillating member is not necessarily a drum but may be of any character adapted to oscillate on its ax e.

When the nigger-head P is in use, the connecting rods H are detached from the wrist-pins and dropped out ofthe way.

What I desire to claim is 1. In deep well pumping mechanism, the combination with a pumping cable of a drum to which said cable is attached, a rotator power-driven in a constant direction, crank connections between said rotator and said drum whereby the'constant rotation of the rotator oscillates the drum in opposite directions whereby the cable is alternately wound up and unwound on said drum, said rotator being provided around its axis with a series of radially disposed and progressively spaced wrist pin connections for varying the throw of the crank connections whereby the are of the drums movement may be adjusted.

2. In deep well pumping mechanism, the combination with a pumping cable of a rotary drum to which said cable is attached, a shaft upon which said drum is fixed, a pinion fixed on said shaft, a slidablerack meshed with said pinion, a power-driven rotator, a wrist pin on said rotator, a con nectmg rod coupling said wrist pin to said rack whereby the constant rotation of said rotator imparts an oscillatory movement to said drum .and the cable is alternately wound up and unwound on said drum, said rotator being provided with a plurality of radially extending ribs, each rib having a wrist pin socket therein positioned at relatively various distances from the axis'of the rotator for adjusting the distance between said wrist pin and the axis of said rotator whereby the arc of oscillation of said drum may be regulated.

3. In deep well pumping mechanism, the combination with a pumping cable of asupport provided with a pair of parallel flanges rigidly extending from opposite sides of the support, each flange having a grooved guideway therein, rack bars mounted in said guideways, a shaft power-driven in a constant direction, crank disks mounted on said shaft connecting said crank disks with said rack bars whereby the latter are oscillated by the rotation of said shaft, a second shaft, pinions on said second shaft and meshed with said rack bars, and a drum mounted on said second shaft and to which said cable is attached whereby the rotation of said first shaft causes'said cable to be 1 alternately wound up and unwound on the drum.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa, this 24th day of August, 1922.

HARRY F. RANDOLPH 

